SPAGHETTI TREES
by Merle Poirier
On April 1, 1957, the BBC, a television company in England, aired a three-minute broadcast of a family in Switzerland harvesting their “spaghetti trees.” More than 8 million people watched the broadcast. They then started calling the station to ask where they could buy and grow their own spaghetti tree! It was recorded as one of the most widespread tricks in broadcasting history.*
Sounds silly, doesn’t it? Who would believe that spaghetti grows on trees? But in England, they did. Why? Because in 1957 most had never seen spaghetti. The person reporting the news was someone they knew and trusted. The video looked real. It had everything to make you believe it was true.
So how do you know when someone isn’t telling you the truth?
ASK QUESTIONS
First, ask questions. Is the person someone you trust? If they are sharing information, are they quoting experts? When you go to the library or search the internet, do other experts agree? If the people in England had researched spaghetti first, they would have found that spaghetti is actually made from flour and water and does not grow on trees.
THE LAST GREAT DECEPTION
Did you know that the Bible tell us a greater trick will happen on this earth? Satan will lead in a great deception. He will pretend to be Jesus and tell the world that Jesus has come again. He will do many of the things that Jesus did. And he will look like someone from heaven. Satan will do everything he can to make people believe and follow him.
How can you be prepared? How can you know that it isn’t Jesus at all, but Satan?
You should still ask questions. You should talk with your parents, teachers, and pastor. But you should also do three more things.
- Pray. Pray for the Holy Spirit to guide you. Ask Jesus to show you what is true.
- Bible Study. The Bible tells us what to expect in the days before Jesus comes. You must read your Bible. Study it every day. Ask your parents to help you. If you attend a Christian school, ask your teacher to set aside time in Bible class to answer questions. Ask your pastor if he will preach a sermon on this topic. Satan cannot trick you if you have allowed God’s word to be in your mind and heart.
- Spirit of Prophecy. We believe Ellen White was a prophet. We believe Jesus showed her what to expect in the last days. She wrote down all she saw and was told, so we can be prepared. Ask your parents to read with you. Then you will know what to expect when Jesus comes.
We would not be fooled by spaghetti trees today. But we live at a time where there are computers, video, television, and cell phones. There are people who know how to make things look very real when they are not. All these and more can be used by the devil to trick us. Remember: pray, study your Bible, and read Mrs. White’s writings. Then you will be ready when Satan tries his tricks.
*Ask an adult to help you find YouTube.com on the Internet. In the search field, type “spaghetti trees.” Locate the result that says: “BBC: Spaghetti-Harvest in Ticino” to watch it for yourself